Imagine. Imagine being locked in a cell for weeks. The only sight you get to witness, would be a hanging dead body. And when that body was taken away from your sight, your eyes get blindfolded, leaving you in a dilemma that which condition was better.Witnessing a dead body?Or being blindfolded for an immeasurable time?That you would cry tears of joy when a ten-minutes meal is served to you so you could witness the outer world, which was nothing but a dark cell.And not only this, while you are locked up in that cell, with a blindfold on, the only sense you are left with; your hearing. And only certain words being fed into your ears for hours and hours. Hours that would seem like days. Weeks. Years. The words that would contain, etiquettes, ethics, rules and regulations of what belonging to him would mean. The words that would be played in your ears like a tape of belonging to him. And you would be made to repeat those words. You have to put up a facade that you agree. You would h
Due to the continuous shivering of her legs, it was becoming harder and harder for her to walk. She was about to trip many times but she didn't want to embarrass herself infront others. They reached at the step of stairs and she got nervous that she had to climb all these stairs with these weak legs. Yet she put up her best, tightly holding the railing and climbed upstairs while everyone else, which included that woman and two bodyguards climbed the stars with little to no efforts. She was breathless as she stepped on the ground again. Her head was feeling light already with this minimal physical activity. Her face was getting hotter as if she had run a marathon. The woman meanwhile inserted a code in a metallic door and it got opened as she followed her out of the basement area. She came across a room that looked more like a store and the door disappeared as soon as they were out. She followed that woman out of the store and some stairs again came infront her eyes. She wanted
She kept on crying as more and more tears propelled out of her eyes, not letting the beautician do make-up on her face. Tear after tear spilled down her eye. Her nose red and face blotched..It was happening. It was going to happen now. Her biggest fear was coming true. But this time, it wasn't just about a one night stand anymore. She would have to spend many nights, countless nights as many nights he would demand.She was his mistress at last. The contract has been signed.When she was done praying her namaz, she had slept and when her eyes opened, she found him sitting on the sofa near to the bed. His eyes were staring at the floor and legs wide open on which he supported both his arms. His hands held a paper and a gun.At that point, she wanted to scream. Cry. Wail. To marry her. Instead of making her sign that contract.She wanted to shout that she wasn't involved with Hannan.It was all happening because he thought she wasn't worthy of being his wife anymore due to her invol
Her hands fell to her sides out of terror as she immediately bowed her head down, and clutched her dupatta draped around her chest with her left hand. As she thought her right hand still had blood on it and it would mess up her clothes.He closed the door and stepped towards her.Her legs began to loose the strength as they started to shiver. She didn't dare say anything without his permission as he came closer though she wanted to apologize.Apologize for...?She herself didn't know the reason but she wanted to apologize to him so he won't punish her. As he stood just infront her, she stumbled and fell on her knees as she couldn't stand anymore due to lack of energy and out of fear. She didn't make an attempt to stand up either as her whole body shivered just like of that person suffering from intense fever. Just like a leaf.He bend down, held both her arms and made her stand up before lifting her face up. She stumbled again but couldn't fall as his arm held her.She was standing
One and a half month.He had kept in her for a whole month to sabotage her thinking, taking a control over her mind. To cover up his insecurities that she won't think of any man ever in her life again. And in this month he had been actively examining her when he had decided to make a decision about her at last.It was either her signing that contract or getting her friend killed.As he sat in his office, waiting for the time to elapse and night to commence with his eyes fixed on a feminine ring which didn't appear to belong to the present-time. It manifested, past, memories, unspoken tales.And miracles.Miracles of what seemed to him selfishness but to the world appeared selfless love.Such a selfless love that the love of a mother for her children got faded infront it.Such a selfless love that utmost love of her husband was dimmed infront of it.No doubt it was a miraculous love.Now fixed proudly between his fingers, the world was unaware the journeys this ring alone had witnesse
One step.Then another step.And then another.He came close as he entered inside before closing the door.His grey eyes moved around the room as he observed everything from the bed to the sofa set, curtained windows and other doors within the room.Empty.The room was empty.She wasn't here.He retrieved his phone before dialing a number and placed it on his ear while looking around the room.The call was received almost immediately and it was then his eyes grasped a minute detail which he missed earlier.His eyes narrowing as he spoke on the phone, "where is Sheharzaad?""You left her in the room?""She is not here,""No. I will personally check the recordings," he said and turned around, opened the door and his footsteps retreated.As the room became empty again.Slowly, her small cowering form appeared behind the sofa as she shakily stood up. Her eyes cursorily ran around and found the room empty.Sweat gathered around her temples.She was defying him.She was still outruning him.
Two months laterDua never told Shehryaar that why she tried committing suicide again. Why she killed her child with her own hands. She never revealed her husband's identity to him either. He pressed on her once to tell him everything but she had kept quiet and didn't utter a word. After that, Shehryaar never investigated her about this matter. Shehryaar has become more busy since the shift of power. Irtaza, his elder brother, had shifted all the authority to Shehryaar and with it came responsibilities too. He was declared the new Ameer in the countryside areas. The landlords and prominent figures had to pledge their allegiances to him. The politicians of the state too had to come and sign a contract of their utmost loyalty to the blood of Shabbir Haider Syed and the next mafia don.And as he was also the new head of the family, and every decision required his approval, he began to be at the haveli for most of the times. Also, he had shifted Sheharzaad too to the haveli for past one
Shehryaar..."Salam baba," He said and her face paled as she went breathless. The call cursorily ran in her mind as she quickly stood up from her position. A smile sprawled on Haider's face upon seeing his son, "you came after alot of days," he exclaimed while sitting up properly as Shehryaar came and sat beside him on the bed. "How are you?" Shehryaar asked."Good. Rather great. Was telling one of my infamous stories to my daughter-in-law," Haider pointed towards Sheharzaad who stood there. Her breathing slightly mingled.As soon as Shehryaar's attention went on her, she took a small step back while staring at him with a paled face. "Assalam-assalam alaikum," she managed to utter with difficulty as her eyes met his. And his gaze lingered on her for a while stealing her breath before atlast he gave her a nod of acknowledgement.Did he come to know about the phone call?It made her face pale further. "Sheharzaad, daughter, sit down," Haider said and she looked at Haider and then at
His tongue was too heavy to utter anything. He was still in shock, a state of disbelief had still encompassed him. His grey eyes kept on looking and tracing the cracks on the hardened mud of the grave. Dilemma was hitting him, clutching him in its painful paws and tightening its grip on his heart with every second.To say the least, he was baffled.Grave.It was a grave.Grave of his mother.Mother.Who had died decades ago.But still that day was freshened in his mind like yesterday. Every intricate and minor detail was in the back of hiss head.Often those details took shape of a nightmare in his dreams. The soulless and dead eyes of the lady who hung with the ceiling.Utter helplessness on her face.He thought as much that suicide was her last resort. That was why he considered her weak. Considered womankind weak. Considered womankind manipulative, cunning, untrustworthy.But here he sat, near the one, who was the reason those feelings were born within him but this time he cam
He was in ICU. His guard told her that he was driving the car fastly to home and suddenly the his grip loosened, the tyres slipped and the car crashed. She couldn't stop the tears coming out of her eyes. She knew the reason behind his eagerness to get home as fast as he could.It was because of her request to come home early. She felt utter guilt clipping her heart.That guilt too that she has suppressed within her.She still thought that Haider died because of her. She considered herself as the culprit of Shehryaar. She took his father's life away. If she hadn't given that dary to him, maybe Haider would have been alive today. She took his father's life away.And now he was fighting for his life because of her. Although, Shehryaar had told him numerous times that it was never her fault behind his father's death but she never agreed to him. There was a part of her which still told her that she was the culprit and that part of her was again taking control over her, inciting suici
The evening sky has sprawled. The blue hue was everywhere as the bird chirped, returning back to their respective abodes. There sat Sheharzaad on the sofa of the study reading the same page again, trying to regain her focus. Yet her eyes would move in between the page of the book that read, 'Karachi. The city of lights. Rather previously known as the city of lights....'The book was titled, 'Zaryaab' after the name of the male lead of that book. Sheharzaad's grey eyes again fixed on the sky, witnessing the birds. As the sun reached the horizon, the sky was a mix of orange and blue.Her mind was wondering to Shehryaar. Where was he? Should she apologize? Or should she wait for him?She found herself guilty in this situation. She should have broke it on the very first place to Maaz that she was married instead of going for that lunch. She knew that Maaz was interested in her but she was just finding the right time to reveal it to him and to everybody that she was married that too t
She was sitting in her cabin, going through a file but repeatedly her concentration was breaking as her mind kept on shifting to somewhere.The memory made her bite her lips and take a deep breath. She was at work!She needed to focus.Why was she feeling that way?She could feel butterflies flipping in her stomach. His intense stare again came over in her mind that had her shook her head away. They both sat together, in that starry night, under the shade of moon, with their hands in hand."Isn't moon looking so beautiful today?" she had whispered dreamily as her head rested on his shoulder. "Which one?" he asked making her puzzle."The one in the sky,""Not as beautiful as the one sitting beside me," "You're cheesy with your dialogues, Mr. Shehryaar,"His eyes flickered from the stars on the sky to her face, "Dialogues ain't the only thing I'm cheesy at, Ms. Sheharzaad,"Sheharzaad averted her gaze, looking away. She was grateful that it was night because her cheeks were turning
Every eye was full of tears.Cries and wails rose from the haveli when the janazah was risen from the home.Haider has passed away. Leaving his mother-less children now father-less. Eyes were sad.Yet his grey eyes stared at nothing just the eye-catching verses that he recited. He was silent. Quiet. Unable to produce any response. Placing her head on his shoulder, his wife sat beside him, with tears propelling from her eyes as her hand held rosary reciting tasbeeh for the departed soul.Sheharzaad was crying.But Shehryaar was silent. It was just those eye-catching verses that had his complete attention. His father used to teach him the Quran in his childhood but he never got the chance to finish it because his practice sessions with his grandfather awaited him so he always used to leave without finishing his recitations. Last he read these verses was decades back and then he did not touch the holy book again. When he was set to made his first murder. He considered himself too
The wiltering flowers at his beloved's grave stood out as an evidence of the abandonment by her own family. Haider sat near the grave. As tears slowly cascaded down his eyes."You've endured enough. I wish... for once you'd have expressed your love for me. For once. Then my whole life wouldn't be so bleak. The reciprocation for which I waited finally came after decades," he played with the mud of the grave, "For once, you could have told me... what Agha did. What my father did. I wish... after your demise even for once you'd have come in my dreams and apprised me how you were brutally killed," Another tear dropped from his eye and landed on her grave, "I read... what you wrote in those pages. Where you expressed your love for me. I freed you from myself only because I wanted you to be happy and be with your lover. I've never hated you. Despite you were caught with another man.... I loved you regardless of every circumstance. My love for you was conditionless, my Jahan" (IN URDU JAHAN
"She didn't commit suicide. She wanted to live for her children. But you know what? She was hanged and it all appeared as suicide. This whole idea was of Agha, Shehryaar. Your mother wanted to live," Sheharzaad finished. Her voice has turned into a soft whisper till the end of her dialogue. She could see the enrage slowly developing in Shehryaar's eyes but he was controlling. He was really controlling himself so the monster won't break free. Zahra came running into the study followed by Haseeb. As soon as Zahra's eyes landed on Irtaza, she went in his arms and hugged him, very well aware that she needed him the most in these moments. And as soon as Dua's eyes fell on Haseeb, she rushed into his arms and hugged him. The previous talk they both had in her room was enough for her to trust him completely. He had gained her partial trust when he had convinced her before their nikkah that he will give her all the love of the world. As well as the time and space she needed for this relati
Tears were slipping down their eyes. The whole study has turned upside down. The glass table, smashed and broken. Books from the bookshelf were torned and rested on the floor. The glass pieces of vase were scattered. The place depicted of an utter apocalypse.And among all these broken and torned things, there lied a safe in the middle of the room. Bullets pierced through it and was now tattered and battered. Sat there on the sofa were three siblings, with nothing but tearful eyes.And a piece of paper in their hands. Written to them in her last moment by their mother. The letter which reached them after twenty five long years.Each word pierced through their soul. Every breath they took was heavy, filled with sighs and unattained wishes. The unattained wish to meet their mother one last time.Shehryaar's hand shivered as he still held the old worn out letter. Tears silently slipping out of his eyes. He rather wished he could have died than knowing this truth. After Sheharzaad na
Dua had immediately taken Sheharzaad to another room once her eyes had landed on her. She did not talk to her family or anyone. She wanted to say the words that have been long overdued on her mind.As soon as she entered in the privacy of the room, Dua hugged Sheharzaad and tears slowly slipped out of her eyes."I-I'm sorry, Sheharzaad. I-I-I," her voice croaked, "I wronged you.... I wronged you... I'm sorry, Sheharzaad. I'm sorry," she kept on repeating. Because she just had this word on her mind. The crime she committed was unjustifiable. It didn't matter Sheharzaad would forgive her or not, but in that moment, Dua just wanted to apologize. Apologize for the crime she committed five years back. Apologize for the crime that stayed in her mind for five long years and it kept on haunting her. The guilt kept on eating her. What she did with Sheharzaad broke her more than anything else. Sheharzaad slowly raised her hand and caressed Dua's back, "stop crying, Dua. I... forgive you," sh